Barge Cruising in France

In May, 2001, Roberta and I took a barge cruise in France, after spending four days in Barcelona and Mallorca. After the barge cruise, we rented a car and drove to the Loire Valley and to the Champagne Region. Here are some of the pictures from this portion of our trip.

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  The Anacoluthe is a barge that cruises the Seine river. It holds 51 passengers, so it's very large compared to most barges that cruise in France. This was our home for a week. Although is doesn't look great on the outside, it really is a luxury barge. 
 
  On our first morning of our cruise, we were taken to Monet's garden at Giverny. This magnificent garden was literally in his backyard. It's very close to Paris, so even if you're not on this cruise, be sure to see it if you are in the city. Go early, because it gets overrun with tourists later in the day.
 
 
Above left, is my picture of Monet's garden bridge. On the right is one of his famous paintings of the same bridge.
 
  Above, the Anacoluthe docked in a small town. Left, the Captain and his first mate.  
   
 
One of the most moving experiences that we had on this tour, happened on an unanticipated excursion from our barge to Auvers-sur-Oise. Van Gogh spent the last year of his life there.
 
 
To the left, Auberge Ravoux today, and to the right, how it looked in Van Gogh's time. Van Gogh rented the cheapest room at the Auberge Ravoux in the center of town. The Auberge is meticulously restored and is now a museum devoted to the time that Van Gogh spent in Auvers. The short film presented in the Auberge should not be missed. Visit the museum, then wander through the town and into the cemetery where Van Gogh is buried.
 
 
It's said that Van Gogh painted the Auver's Hotel De Ville from the window of the Aberge Ravoux which is directly across the street.
 
 

One of Van Gogh's most famous paintings completed in Auvers was of L'eglise d'Auvers-sur-Oise (The Church at Auvers-sur-Oise). Below is my picture of the church at Auvers-sur-Oise, and Van Gogh's famous painting.

The painting is now in the Musée d'Orsay, Paris.

 
 
 
 
Just a short walk from the town are the wheat fields that Van Gogh Painted. We saw the painting "Wheatfield with Crows" for the first time at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, then saw it a second time when it was on tour in Los Angeles. It was quite an experience to walk in the very same wheat fields. This was one of his last paintings; but contrary to popular belief, not his last.
He said of this painting:  "They are vast fields of wheat under troubled skies, and I did not need to go out of my way to try to express sadness and extreme loneliness."
 
  On July 27, 1890, Van Gogh shot himself in the chest, then passed away, two days later. He is buried in the Auvers cemetery, with his devoted brother, Theo, buried by his side.
 
 
Looking back on Auvers from a wheatfield.
 
 
  Yes, there is a Statue of Liberty in Paris too. This is the view from our barge as we entered Paris.
 
  One of our most favorite places in Paris is Monmarte. Go there on a sunny day and have lunch at one of the outdoor cafes in the small square.
 
 

One of the highlights of this cruise is a tour of Paris by night.

If you are in Paris, but not on a cruise, you should spend a few hours on a Bateau Mouche. These are big riverboats with huge lights that light up the riverbanks as you cruise the river.
 
 
  This early morning picture was taken from the top deck of the barge as we left Paris. Notre Dame Cathedral is in the background.
 
 
The legendary chateu, Vaux le Vicomte, was our next stop. Built by Nicolas Fouquet, Vaux le Vicomte served as the inspiration for Versailles. Rather than me trying to summarize the historical significance and the tragic story of Nicholas Foquet in this small space, click here for the full story: Vaux le Vicomte
 
  Here are the gardens of Vaux le Viacomte, taken from the steps of the chateau. One tip is to rent a golf cart at the chateau and use it to explore the gardens. 
 
 
Above, views from our barge. Below, the town of Barbizon
 
 

To the left, Barbizon.

 

 

 

Below, Moret Sur Loing, a medieval village on the river Loing. It was the home of the impressionist painter Sisley. Here's one of his famous paintings with the same perspective as my picture.
 
 
 

To the left, Moret Sur Loing,

 

 

 

 

 

Below, Provins. In the 13th century Provins was one of the most important towns in France, with a population of 80,000 inhabitants. A prosperous wool center, its fairs were famous all over Europe. The cultivation of the red rose, which was imported by a crusader, flourished at Provins.
 
 
 
 
Above left is a picture of how we got around to sights that weren't close to the river. The barge has its own bus that met us in every port. Above right is a picture of our cabin. On this barge, the cabins are all about the same. Although very small, we were able to stow all of our clothes in the closet and drawers. Our two large suitcases stowed easily under the twin beds. The cabin had it's own bathroom with shower. Although very small, the cabin was very comfortable....Just remember that you're on a barge and not a large cruise ship.
 
 
Above left, the sun deck. Above right is the lounge on the barge. Entertainment was brought in for one night. The singer and the piano player were both very good. Below, the dining room and an example of a typical lunch on the barge. Wine, usually two varieties, are included at both lunch and dinner.
 
 
  This picture was taken on our last night on the barge. The next morning, we took a taxi to Foutainbleu, then rented a car for four days, instead our planned four day after-cruise stay in Paris. Paris was very crowded, and we felt that we wanted to stay in the countryside.
 
 
Here's a picture of me at Fountainbleu Chateau. This was the beginning of a long day. From here, we drove the Chartes, then we drove all the way down to the Loire Valley.
 
Chartres Cathedral of Notre Dame is one of the most famous cathedrals of Europe. The Chartres Labyrinth is one of the few remaining labyrinths of the middle ages. Roberta wanted to walk the Labyrinth and we had to wait until 7 P.M. to do it. They have a rule there that only allows walkers from 7 to 7:30 P.M. After walking the Labyrinth, we drove down to the Loire Valley. 
 
 
Roberta and I visited the major chateaus in the Loire Valley while on tour in France in 1992. This time, we visited Cheverny which is probably the most magnificently furnished chateaus in the Loire.
 
 
 

From Cheverny, we took a long drive back to Paris, first on country roads, then on highways. We got as far as Orly Airport, where, we stopped at a modern hotel for the night. The next day, we drove through Paris and into the Champagne Region. We found this hotel very close to Epernay. We highly recommend staying at the La Briqueterie.

Roberta and I have been to many regions of France. The Champagne Region is one of our favorites. In Epernay, many champagne cellars of well-known companies are located on the Avenue de Champagne. The champagne caves (cellars) of Moet & Chandon are carved out of limestone and are located directly under their building. 
 
 
   
  We recommend taking the Moet & Chandon Tour. Above is a picture of the cellars, which house hundreds of thousands of bottles of champagne. Mercier also has a good tour of their cellars. Left is a picture of us in the Mercier lobby. There's quite a story about this wine barrel. It's all Oak, and it was made for the 1880 Universal Exhibition (World's Fair) in Paris. Transporting it from Epernay to Paris took eight days.  The 20 Ton barrel was hauled to Paris by 24 oxen. The barrel was the second top attraction at the exhibition. The top attraction was the Eiffel Tower!  
   
  Epernay is on the Route du Champagne. On this trip, we drove much of it and we both felt that it was one of most beautiful drives we've ever taken. The following pictures were all taken on our drive along the route.  
   
   
 
   
 
   
 
 
 
From The Route du Champagne, we drove to Charles de Gaulle Airport then flew to London for a short stay before flying back to Los Angeles. I hope you enjoyed my pictures of France, and that my commentary gives you some suggestions on what to see and do when you go there.
 
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